Sen. Tom Harkin visited the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) at the University of Iowa for a tour on Tuesday, Aug. 12.

The NADS is a center for driving simulation excellence located at the UI's Research Park. The facility is home to a range of simulators that offer varying levels of driving realism.

Research conducted at the facility helps save lives, improves quality of life for motorists, advances the state of the art in driving simulation, and improves the efficiency and productivity of the vehicle manufacturing sector.

The machine has been used to research driver distraction, impairment, and roadway design.